About Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart is famous for being a child prodigy. He began learning the keyboard at the age of three and was composing by the time he was five years old. When he was six his father, Leopold Mozart, took Wolfgang and his sister Nannerl on a concert tour of Europe, showing off his children’s prodigious musical abilities. Having already proved his prowess as a performer, Mozart demonstrated his early talents at composition, producing his first symphony in 1764, at the age of eight. In his too brief 35 years on this earth, he composed over 600 works in nearly every genre: sonatas, concertos, symphonies, operas, choral music and chamber music. While these forms were not new, he is responsible for their technical advancement. Mozart is also largely given credit for popularizing the piano concerto. His influence was widespread, from Beethoven to composers of later generations.